ROUND 1: AJ Johnson - Poll Added

PG Graveyard · Post #661 » by **PG Graveyard** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 1:42 pm

Has anyone put a Lamelo Ball comp on him yet?

Bernman · Post #662 » by **Bernman** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 3:29 pm

I feel like nobody's posted his combine scrimmage games if anybody wants to dive in. So here ya go:

Watch on YouTube

^^^^
1st game of the day, starts, #1 on gray team

Watch on YouTube

^^^^
2nd/last game of the day, still gray team, comes off the bench.

Fotis St · Post #663 » by **Fotis St** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 3:48 pm

PG Graveyard wrote:Has anyone put a Lamelo Ball comp on him yet?

LaMelo is on another world as a playmaker ... Lamelo is like the legendary White Chocolate
AJ is cute and can hit the pocket pass to the roll man, he needs a different haircut to increase his court vision.
We are such a poor talented team in terms of handles and speed, that even AJ is a breathe of fresh air.
Should Horst trade down for more picks ?
Absolutely ... we could end up with Tyler Smith + Oso + AJ Johnson ... I think we lost at least one second round pick cause Horst was once more incompetent.
As I said in another post ... Denver grabbing DaRon Holmes at #22 is proof our Draft Board was leaked ...
we probably had

1. DaRon Holmes II
2. AJ Johnson

The New York Knicks did a fantastic job cause they knew we weren't interested in Tyler Kolek ... traded #24 for 6 second rounds and did the best for their team while we took the most not NBA Ready player in his draft class. Thank God he has potential, cause of his size, age, speed and handles... I like his aggressive attitude too dunking on everybody.

JayMKE · Post #664 » by **JayMKE** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 6:56 pm

need this guy to have a good SL for sanity

JonHeist · Post #665 » by **JonHeist** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 7:04 pm

I've come around on him

still think it was a bad pick cuz he probably would have fallen to 33, but in my headcannon from here out we took Smith at 23 and Johnson at 33 and I think it was a very solid draft

Matches Malone · Post #666 » by **Matches Malone** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 7:09 pm

JonHeist wrote:I've come around on him

Same. After mulling it over and welcoming the acceptance stage, I watched as much of him as I could this weekend and he's got some pretty nice skills to develop. The change of pace is a legit weapon and watched him fake defenders to get to the rim multiple times in those Combine scrimmages. His shot is also pretty silky both jumper and at the FT line everything was a swish.

I'm willing to give him a shot. I think most of are just worried that most of Horsts 1st rounders end up being swings for the fences that don't pan out. Trying to find all-stars and passing on players who could be good contributors to the rotation. Hopefully AJ breaks that mold.

Bernman · Post #667 » by **Bernman** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 7:25 pm

JayMKE wrote:need this guy to have a good SL for sanity

I think he probably will, given his style. It's similar to Jennings, & he had a great summer league.

That said, summer league tells you little historically, as opposed to combine scrimmages, which people could check out (above that I linked), & regain their sanity more legitimately. Aside from the win now desire, I think people could understand it then.

ShootingtheJ · Post #668 » by **ShootingtheJ** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 7:31 pm

Bernman wrote:
JayMKE wrote:need this guy to have a good SL for sanity

I think he probably will, given his style. It's similar to Jennings, & he had a great summer league.

That said, summer league tells you little historically, as opposed to combine scrimmages, which people could check out (above that I linked), & regain their sanity more legitimately. Aside from the win now desire, I think people could understand it then.

Agree that combine scrimmages have historically been good indicators of success, but AJJ was actually the highest player drafted out of this one. There just wasn't much talent playing.

ShootingtheJ · Post #669 » by **ShootingtheJ** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 7:34 pm

PG Graveyard wrote:Has anyone put a Lamelo Ball comp on him yet?

Didn't Lamelo score 20 ppg on the NBL at the same age?

Bernman · Post #670 » by **Bernman** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 7:39 pm

JonHeist wrote:I've come around on him

still think it was a bad pick cuz he probably would have fallen to 33, but in my headcannon from here out we took Smith at 23 and Johnson at 33 and I think it was a very solid draft

But then you know Smith did fall to 33.

You don't know Johnson would have. So to get them both, it may have required this order.

He was being mocked before 33rd (some late 1st) a lot of places before the draft. It varied a lot.

The guy has core upside. Even if they have little production, someone practically always takes a chance mid 1st thru mid 2nd. Someone claimed he'd have been there in the 50's. I struggle to think of anyone in that range who's been a core player in modern yrs. Might have to go back to Manu.
https://deadspin.com/best-nba-draft-second-round-picks-of-all-time/

PG Graveyard · Post #671 » by **PG Graveyard** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 7:42 pm

ShootingtheJ wrote:
PG Graveyard wrote:Has anyone put a Lamelo Ball comp on him yet?

Didn't Lamelo score 20 ppg on the NBL at the same age?

I thought he struggled as well or at least was horribly inefficient. Either way I do think his game does kind of resemble him a bit

soxperry · Post #672 » by **soxperry** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 7:44 pm

Ive come around to the idea that we drafted a 6'5 version of Tyrese Maxey

Bernman · Post #673 » by **Bernman** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 7:46 pm

ShootingtheJ wrote:Agree that combine scrimmages have historically been good indicators of success, but AJJ was actually the highest player drafted out of this one. There just wasn't much talent playing.

That reasoning is a little circular, though the top guy otherwise went higher the prior two years. But after it's typically like picks in the 20's thru the 2nd rd still. After Johnson you had 26, 30, 31 who played this yr. I think it's arguable that's proportional/appropriate for Johnson, if he was a top 10 performer, while being one of the youngest, & toolsiest.

A Chomche, like someone proposed, for example, didn't do s**t. Conversely Johnson was getting praised for 2 solid performances by one of ESPN's in-game commentators.

German Athens · Post #674 » by **German Athens** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 8:51 pm

LUKE23 wrote:Not sure if anyone posted this yet, but a pretty detailed read.

https://www.noceilingsnba.com/p/process-over-production-why-aj-johnson

The first defensive clip is my favorite highlight of his, and gives me a ton of hope that he’s just gonna find a way to contribute.

He’s actively communicating to his teammates that a player is coming over, he’s then super engaged on the weakside, signaling to the official that there’s a travel. He helps the low man on the big once the player drives from the corner. He scrambles back out, gets in a good stance, slides his feet well, and then stunts on the drive.

It’s just all super encouraging stuff from a team D perspective, and that’s often the thing that takes longest for young players to grasp.

I think I’m going to love watching him play, and I can’t wait to see it.

Illawarra_Buck · Post #675 » by **Illawarra_Buck** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 9:57 pm

Badgerlander wrote:

Read on Twitter

For some added context, that's Rocco Zikarsky he's dunking on.

A kid himself but 7'3" with a 7'6" wingspan and projected top 10 in some 2025 way-too-early mocks.

Bernman · Post #676 » by **Bernman** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 10:13 pm

Illawarra_Buck wrote:A kid himself but 7'3" with a 7'6" wingspan and projected top 10 in some 2025 way-too-early mocks.

He dunked on Sarr too, & some prospect in the combine. So it's a proclivity against anyone, & teammates love it. Incidentally, he seems to have a great rapport w/ a lot of the guys.

Read on Twitter

Badgerlander · Post #677 » by **Badgerlander** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 10:16 pm

I mean Sarr was there but I wouldn’t really call tgat a dunk on him. I do like this cut though

Read on Twitter

Bernman · Post #678 » by **Bernman** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 10:21 pm

Badgerlander wrote:I mean Sarr was there but I wouldn’t really call tgat a dunk on him. I do like this cut though

Dude could have swatted it from the side, but he missed. Sarry, Sarr. You just got A'Jammed!

AussieBuck · Post #679 » by **AussieBuck** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 10:33 pm

ShootingtheJ wrote:
PG Graveyard wrote:Has anyone put a Lamelo Ball comp on him yet?

Didn't Lamelo score 20 ppg on the NBL at the same age?

His NBL rookie season he was left to do whatever he wanted with all the turnovers and misses to go with it. Like a high pick on a tanking team. Opposite situation to what our guy had.

Ball showed a lot of project able skills that season but he was kinda ****. Wasn't a patch on Joe Ingles' rookie season in Australia.

ShootingtheJ · Post #680 » by **ShootingtheJ** » Sun Jun 30, 2024 10:41 pm

AussieBuck wrote:
ShootingtheJ wrote:
PG Graveyard wrote:Has anyone put a Lamelo Ball comp on him yet?

Didn't Lamelo score 20 ppg on the NBL at the same age?

His NBL rookie season he was left to do whatever he wanted with all the turnovers and misses to go with it. Like a high pick on a tanking team. Opposite situation to what our guy had.

Ball showed a lot of project able skills that season but he was kinda ****. Wasn't a patch on Joe Ingles' rookie season in Australia.

Lemelo averaged 17 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 6.8 apg with only 2.5 turnovers per game. He shot poorly, but was otherwise dominant.

Way Too Early Snap Judgment